MANAGER Eddie Howe saluted Cherries’ staying power and said he hoped victory over Everton could be a “springboard to a more consistent run”.

Ryan Fraser’s double – including a dramatic late clincher – ended Cherries’ eight-match winless sequence and lifted them out of the Premier League drop zone.

Fraser fired Cherries ahead with a finely-taken first-half opener before sealing the points with a deflected strike two minutes from time after Idrissa Gana Gueye had levelled for the Toffees.

Howe, who saw Cherries claim a share of the spoils thanks to a late equaliser against West Ham on Boxing Day, said: “The past two games have been incredible with lots of twists and turns.

“Underneath, there have been two really good performances and, again, I felt it would have been really hard on us had we not won.

“The players kept going and showed they could dig really deep when they needed to. It was a great feeling when the winner went in.

“We made it difficult for ourselves and that is when the true character comes through. We were dominating the game and looking comfortable and, suddenly, we gave them a goal.

“With the recent run we had been on, that could easily have changed the momentum of the match and played games with you.

“That was the truly impressive thing about the performance – the ability to keep going. I thought we looked strong towards the end of the game and deserved to win.

“We are aware how tight the league table is so have to make sure this as a springboard to a more consistent run.

“When you don’t win, I can say how well I think we have played but there are only so many times you can say that before people get tired of it.

“I am pleased to say we won and performed well. That is the best combination any football manager can wish for.”

Victory ended the threat of Cherries registering their longest run in the Premier League without a win, having gone eight games three times in their first two years, including between January and March last season.

Howe added: “I think this run was different to last season. Last year, I didn’t think we played too well, we had injuries to key players and were on a run where we seemed to lose confidence and the performances weren’t great.

“This time, I think it has been different. When you look back on the games we didn’t win – Southampton, Palace and Swansea – I felt we could have won and were okay.

“Burnley and Liverpool were big disappointments when you could say we didn’t perform. I was more than happy with what we did in the other games. We just needed to be more clinical in both boxes and that was why we went eight games without winning.”